Check in from Director

Dear All

October has been another very fruitful month for teams at the Child Health Research Centre (CHRC), with various successes in MRFF funds and UQ industry engagement programs.  

CHRC also teamed up with a number of organisational units across the Faculty of Medicine, and hosted the Invisible Disability Awareness Day morning tea, on the 22 Oct. The event recognises that disability doesn't look the same for everybody and that it's essential to educate ourselves on hidden disabilities. 

Check out our LInkedIn and X for some actions at the event, and the latest happenings at the Child Health Research Centre.  

CHRC continues keep the dialogue open with Faculty and Central executive teams to ensure that CHRC received the support we need to excel, especially as the University works through it’s process in establishing the Faculty of Health Medicine and Behavioural Sciences. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to Annie and I.  

I am also very excited to announce that nominations for the 2024 CHRC Excellence Awards are currently open and we are organising for our end of year research showcase – a wonderful opportunity for CHRC members and colleagues to reflect on what a year it has been, our successes, achievements with collaborators, and goals for the new year to come. 

Thank you again for all you do.

Kind regards

Professor Craig Munns

Director Child Health Research Centre

Want to be included in the newsletter?
Email your updates, event, awards to uqchrc@uq.edu.au for inclusion.

Pencil this in your diaries  
**Working group/supporters wanted!! Reach out if you are able to spare some time to help organising these events – email uqchrc@uq.edu.au**

• Monday 18 November: International Students’ Day

• Thursday 28 November: CHRC End of Year celebration & symposium

Felicitations!

• A/Prof. Jas Chawla & team – 2023 MRFF Childhood Mental Health “Untapping the potential of sleep health to improve prevention and management of mental health problems in First Nations Children” 
• Dr Kelvin Tuong – UQ Spark industry engagement program finalist 
• Dr Athena Steins – 2024 Faculty of Medicine PhD Graduate of the Year Award – runners up 

View archived announcements from CHRC

Health Economics to lead HSR2024 workshop program
CHSR's Health Economics team are counting down to the Applied Economics in Health Services Design and Evaluation workshop at this year’s Health Services Research conference. We’re excited to share our knowledge of economic evaluation methods and outcome measurement with new audiences. The hands-on workshop will help researchers and clinicians design and successfully evaluate health interventions. We hope to see you there!

From the Director's Desk
I’m thoroughly looking forward to tomorrow’s CHSR Forum and End-of-Year Year Event, including lunch and of course presentation of the CHSR Director’s Awards. As an incredibly multidisciplinary team spanning multiple campuses, it’s so important to take this time to come together, celebrate what we’ve achieved collectively in 2024, and look toward our future collaborations in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences. In other news, warm congratulations to COH Associate Professor Liam Caffery, who has been promoted to Professor from 2025. Finally, farewell to our wonderful inhouse Research Support team members Casey and Lauren, who are wrapping up their time with CHSR this month, and taking up exciting new roles at PAH and UQCCR respectively.
Best wishes, Monika

Final 2024 All CHSR Forum + End-of-Year Social Event!
Tuesday 19 November
11am-3pm
Mary Emelia Mayne Room, Herston
Fully catered!

Final 2024 CHSR Seminar
Wednesday 20 November
12:30pm
Nutrition for Maternal Health
Presented by Taylor Guthrie and Hannah O'Connor
Join the meeting here

Next CHSR Shared Lunch at PAH
Thursday 21 November
12pm
Ground Floor Kitchen, Building 33
Bring a plate!

UQ Thanks You Dutton Park
Thursday 21 November
2-5pm
Level 4, Terrace and Interactive Space, PACE, UQ Dutton
Register here

Next CHSR Shared Lunch at Herston
Thursday 28 November
12pm
Level 5 Kitchen, UQ Health Sciences Building
Bring a plate!

Health Services Research Conference
4-6 December
Royal International Convention Centre
Conference and workshop registrations remain open

Research Support Team updates
Please notify the CHSR Research Support Team via the online survey or email med.research.chsr@uq.edu.au if you are applying for grants (either as CIA or collaborator). For post-award support, please contact med.rpms.chsr@uq.edu.au or med.rpms.aktn@uq.edu.au, and cc med.research.chsr@uq.edu.au.

Funding opportunities
NHMRC Centres of Research Excellence 2025 – close 4 December
MRFF International Clinical Trials (R2) – close 4 December
MRFF Frontier Health and Medical Research – EOIs close 31 March 2025

Training opportunities
UQ Library online and in-person training available here
QCIF online biostatistics and bioinformatics training available here

Publications
Catapan, S. C., Snoswell, C. L., Haydon, H. M., Banbury, A., Thomas, E. E., Caffery, L. J., Smith, A. C., & Kelly, J. (2024). Trust and confidence in telehealth-delivered services: a nation-wide cross-sectional study. Health marketing quarterly, 1–19. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/07359683.2024.2422202

Di Giuseppe, G., Sutradhar, R., Pequeno, P., Kwan, M. L., Miglioretti, D. L., Smith-Bindman, R., & Pole, J. D. (2024). Medical imaging utilization in migrants compared with nonmigrants in a universal healthcare system: A population-based matched cohort study. PLoS medicine, 21(10), e1004474. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004474

Eather, C. E., Sterling, M., Sullivan, C., & Elphinston, R. A. (2024). Leveraging value-based health principles to improve translation and impact of digital psychological interventions for people with chronic pain. Pain, 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003441. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003441

Khair, M., Palamuthusingam, D., Hawley, C. M., Pascoe, E. M., Johnson, D. W., Mon, S. Y., & Fahim, M. (2024). PD peritonitis in patients undergoing capsule endoscopy: A descriptive study. Peritoneal dialysis international : journal of the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis, 44(6), 455–458. https://doi.org/10.1177/08968608231221063

View archived announcements from CHSR

Medical School community achievements

Student Research Showcase

The Academy for Medical Education hosted the annual MD Program Student Research Conference and Showcase in collaboration with student leaders from UQMS and OMSA on 3 October. The event was a testament to the enthusiasm and dedication of our medical student researchers, who presented work of a high quality across a diverse range of topics. The presentations were in a 3-Minute Thesis format and poster presentations. All presentations demonstrated well developed skills in research and engaging presentation skills. The presenters’ interactive discussions demonstrated detailed insights into the research areas.  

Congratulations to Nikita Rosendahl who was awarded both the Judges' and People's Choice awards for her oral presentation 'Targeting “Pac-Man” cells to treat Ovarian Cancer'. Jemima Po was awarded Best Poster for her presentation on ‘The influence of ankle exoskeleton assistance on the neuromotor control of balance in older adults’ and Hasti Fadakar was voted the People's Choice poster award for ‘Exploring the Relationship Between Participant Characteristics and Mental Adjustment to Pancreatic Cancer’.

People and culture

Staff appointments

We are pleased to introduce new staff within the Medical School and advise of the following staff movements. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to:

Rural Clinical School

Mr Rangana Dissanayake Mudiyanselage, ITS Officer, Toowoomba

Academy for Medical Education

Dr Emma Somogyi, Manager, MD Curriculum Development, Herston Campus

Miss Amber Hitchins, Executive Assistant and Administration Officer, Herston Campus

Ms Heather Nicholson, Lecturer, Medical Education

Research  

Medical School Annual Research Showcase

The Medical School Annual Research Showcase will be held on Monday 11 November from 9:00am-12:45pm at the TRI Auditorium. Professor Geoff McColl, Executive Dean, Faculty of Medicine, will reflect on his remarkable achievements and shares insights on leveraging partnerships for success. This event will showcase the outstanding research in the School, and feature presentations from early-to-mid-career and established researchers. We will also announce the inaugural winners of the Research Partnership and Impact Award as well as the Higher Degree Research Student Excellence Awards. Lunch will be provided following the presentations and awards ceremony. Please RSVP advising of any dietary requirements.

Ethics and Governance training

Research Ethics and Integrity Training sessions are available for UQ Staff and HDR candidates. Please see the schedule below:

Drop-in session for questions on human ethics applications:

Tuesday 5 November 10:00-11:00am

Register for the drop-in session for questions on ethics applications.

Conducting Ethical Research with Humans at UQ:

Thursday 7 November 11:00am-1:00pm

Register in Workday for this session.

Ethical research & teaching with animals at UQ:

Wednesday 6 November 1:00-2:00pm

Register in Workday for this session.

Research ethics: Human (HDR Students):

Tuesday 19 November 10:00-11:30am

HDR candidates can attend any of the Human Ethics training sessions organised by the Graduate School.

Research ethics: Animal (HDR students):

Wednesday 20 November 12:00-1:00pm

Register for this session on the Graduate School website. Please direct enquiries to: training.rei@research.uq.edu.au.

Education

Academy for Medical Education Annual Conference

The Academy for Medical Education held its annual two-day conference on 3-4 October 2024.  The first day of the conference focussed on the future of education and impact of technology.  Professor Clair Sullivan (QHDeC), A/Professor Thelma Parker and Professor Adam Bridgeman (Pro Vice Chancellor Education Innovation, University of Sydney) delivered the three keynote lectures that provocatively stimulated discussion on impact of technology including AI, and cultural humility of the education of future doctors.  A highlight was a presentation from Year 4 students, Dineli Kalansuriya and Sophia Nicolades on LGBTQIASB+ Health Education, Student Safety and Curricula reform. The second day focussed on aspects of the new UQMD, particularly Year 3.

MD Design update

The Bundaberg and Rockhampton teams are actively preparing to welcome students from Year 1 of the MD program the first time in 2025, and similarly, Toowoomba for Year 2 (Year 1 in 2026).

The AME teams are working towards finalising the draft Course Profiles for 2025, with feedback from across the Medical School welcomed during November. Current Year 2 students are actively engaged in selecting Year 3 Scholarly Project, with the actual work to commence on these in January. Training for Year 3 supervisors is taking place on 1 November 2024 at the AME.

Engagement

UQ Ventures iLab Accelerator

Take your venture to the next level with UQ Ventures ilab Accelerator: Chapter 1 2025 program. During the three-month program, each startup receives a $15,000 investment to help get your startup ready for the market. You will work closely with our Entrepreneurs in Residence and have access to our extensive mentor and investor networks, as well as workshops, industry events, and co-working spaces. Founders from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. Open to all UQ students, alumni, and staff.

 Join our upcoming information sessions to meet the team and get application tips:

• 7 November
• 12 November

Application deadline: 18 November 2025
Find out more: ventures.uq.edu.au/ilab-accelerator

Ventures LeadHers Rise

Celebrate Women's Entrepreneurship Day at LeadHers Rise! Join us for a morning of inspiration, connections, and celebration with Hannah Spilva, award-winning entrepreneur, and co-founder of LVLY, a $35M success story. Hear her journey from startup challenges to a major exit, and gain insights to boost your own entrepreneurial path. Network with founders, supporters, and peers in a vibrant, supportive space! This event will take place on 15 November at 8:30-11:30am at The Grove Rooftop. Sponsored by Momentum Accelerator, Asia Pay, and Lift Women.

New Records Management Procedure

Data Strategy and Governance has drafted the Records Management Procedure which will replace the Keeping Records at UQ Procedure and Destruction of Records Procedure.  

 This procedure defines UQ’s records management requirements and aims to provide clearer information about: 

• using TRIM (UQ’s records management system) and other tools 
• records disposal 
• managing physical and digital records 
• access to records. 

The final draft of the Records Management Procedure is available online for your feedback. If you manage, generate or receive records as part of your role, please review and provide any feedback to Data Strategy and Governance by Friday 8 November.

Student-Staff Partnerships (SSP) Program 2025

The Student-Staff Partnerships (SSP) program offers opportunities for students and staff to work together on projects designed to enhance student experience, improve teaching and learning, and transform governance systems. Connecting with the diversity of voices and talents across UQ, participants form meaningful partnerships while strengthening their professional capabilities.

Submissions for 2025 Round 1 Projects close 15 November.

APD Open Season is Here

The Annual Performance and Development (APD) process is live for 2024/2025. The APD is a valuable feedback and development tool and is a required activity for all continuing and fixed-term academic and professional staff on contracts exceeding 1 year. You can find out more information about how to make the most of the APD process, and get your questions answered here.

2024 End of Year Closure Confirmed

The Vice Chancellor confirmed via email to all staff on 18 September that the University will be closed between 5:00pm on 24 December, through to 2 January. All staff are asked to take leave on 27, 30 and 31 December for the closure period. More information will be shared shortly regarding essential activities required over the closure, and arrangements for staff who do not have sufficient leave during the closure.

General Practice Clinical Unit newsletter
The General Practice Clinical Unit distributes a quarterly newsletter. Click on the Newsletters tab for the latest information regarding the Mayne Academy of General Practice and General Practice Clinical Unit, teaching tips, articles and more.

View archived announcements from the Medical School

View archived announcements from MRI-UQ 

October Highlight - FRAME
Congratulations to Professor Riitta Partanen who has stepped into the elected role as Chair of the Federation of Rural Medical Educators (FRAME) Policy Group. This group advises on matters pertaining to the achievement of the aims of Rural Clinical School, Rural Health and Regional Training Hub programs across Australia. Riitta and professional members of the RCS team attended the recent FRAME meeting in Darwin (21-22 October) which focused on managing racisms, student experiences in rural & remote settings and future funding and contracts.

Professors Riitta Partannen and Bruce Chater also attended the Rural Medicine Australia Conference, also held in Darwin 24-26 October hosted by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia. This was another great opportunity to share with, learn from and connect with rural colleagues across Australia.

Staff Updates

• We welcome Dr Sarin Zillabathula as the new Deputy Head Year 1 for Central Queensland Learning Community.
• We congratulate Dr Eugene Wong on his new role with the RCS as Deputy Head Year 1 for the Wide Bay Learning Community based in Bundaberg (Eugene will continue to support the RRM team with MEDI7315).
• We welcome Rangana Dissanayake Mudiyanselage to the Toowoomba team as ITS Officer.  Rangana is a Toowoomba resident who has been working with ITS at the Gatton Campus and he will start in Toowoomba with the RCS on the 31 October with a 6 month secondment.
• A big thank you to the new casual simulated patients who have joined the RCS team this month to assist with the Year 2 & 3 OSCEs and to our teams who are supporting with onboarding.
• We congratulate Claire Cresswell who has welcomed baby girl Billie Bloom into the world this week.

Recruitment
The following opportunities are lists on the UQ Careers page

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow – University Centre - Toowoomba
• Lecturer in Research – Rockhampton Hospital
• Associate Lecturer, Lecturer or Senior Lecturer in Indigenous Health Education and Engagement (CQ) – Rockhampton Hospital
• Associate Lecturer, Lecturer, or Senior Lecturer in Indigenous Health (Medicine) Education & Engagement (Wide Bay) – Bundaberg Hospital

October recap
Visit our Facebook page for more news from October

• Congratulations to Dr Bushra Nasir, who won the Faculty of Medicine Early to Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) Industry Engagement Award (2024) for her work as Director of the Innovative Digital Indigenous Primary Health Care Delivery Model (ID-INSPIRED). The Awards were part of the Research Partnerships and Translation (RPAT) Awards event, held at Customs House in October. The Awards celebrate achievements of UQ EMCRs, who through partner engagement and collaboration are translating research into industry impact.  Visit the online Awards article to learn more. 
• This month, the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) published a Supplement devoted to "Growing and sustaining doctors in rural, remote and First Nations communities”. Our RCS researchers have five papers published in the Supplement. Read MJA Supplement here.
• High Value Conversation training was well attended by staff in Rockhampton, Hervey Bay and Bundaberg and Toowoomba.
• RCU Hervey Bay took celebrated and recognised outstanding Educators at The Fraser Coast Medical Education Awards – watch the 7 news report for more.

Upcoming events for November
Add the Rural Clinical School Events (uqrcs.events@uq.edu.au) calendar to outlook to see more events  

• Saturday 9 November – year 3 OSCEs
• Monday 25 November – TROHPIQ TREES program commences
• Some RCUs are hosting student retention events celebrating returning students or interns to their regions

Finance
Finance Tip – Corporate Card Use Reminders

• Invoice scams are growing and it is important to be vigilant in spotting and reporting red flags including emails that are slightly different from the real one, unusual writing style, or demands for payment to avoid penalty.
• Corporate cards must not be saved on merchant websites without approval from the Payment Services Team.
• You must never send card details by email, call where possible to make payment over the phone.
• Providing photocopies of the front or back of your card is prohibited.
• Please review the Corporate cards page for further information.

Marketing
Social media update for October

Reach – 7.8K (94% increase)
Content interactions 194 (83.4K decrease)
12 net followers (48% decrease)
Most engaged post for October – Immersion recap – Kingaroy

View archived RCS announcements

Date Savers

22 Nov                SBMS Clean Up Day
22 Nov                SBMS Awards Evening, Customs House
25 Nov                Mini-symposium: Systems Metabolism in Health and Disease
11 Dec                SBMS All Staff Meeting
11 Dec                Farewell to Tim Forrest
13 Dec                Research Symposium – SBMS & SOP – UQ Dutton Park

Finance Update
Finance End of Year deadlines: Central finance dates can be found here End of year deadlines_2024.xlsx.
Have you spent your internal SBMS HDR/Hons funds down? Please contact Rebecca Gao or Belinda Donovan if you require assistance to spend these funds down before end of year.

HSW Update
Respiratory Protection Fit Testing – Please let Robyn r.oram@uq.edu.au know if you require a fit test for respirators or P2 masks that you use in your work with animals/biologicals or chemicals.  Annual retesting should also be done.  HSW will conduct a couple of sessions before the end of the year. 

Annual Biosafety Inspections – The latest round of Biosafety Inspections have been completed.  Some reoccurring issues again this year which we need your help to fix:

• Discard any expired disinfectants (eg. Bleach stock)
• Date disinfectant bottles with either date made/decanted or expiry date.   UQ Biosafety advise ethanol has an expiration date of 6months from date made or decanted.
• Label ethanol bottles as either 70%w/w or 80%v/v.  HSW is currently making some labels which have the chemical risk/hazard phrases and also a column for expiry dates, coming soon!
• Ensure PPE is worn, closed in shoes, lab coat or gown, gloves and safety glasses
• Dealing signage on storage areas – make sure it is still legible, if you need more magnetic signage see HSW Team

Upcoming Annual Workplace Inspections/Action Items – The last few audits of the year, Skerman level 4 and 5 and Macgregor level 5, will occur in the next few weeks.  SBMS has many outstanding Action Items which we need to get closed off before the end of the year.  Please check that you don’t have anything outstanding.   Many thanks to those who have recently closed theirs out.

Professional Staff Awards
Don’t forget to nominate your favourite professional staff member or team for the following awards at the SBMS Awards Night:  A-Team, Leadership, Service Excellence, and Change Warriors.  Professional staff likewise are asked to nominate an academic for Excellence in Collaboration and Support. Provide some commentary with your nomination.  Email sbms.pa@uq.edu.au

HDR Awards
The HDR committee would like to present some awards for our HDR students at the SBMS Awards Night. The categories are: Best service by a HDR student in 2024, Best mentorship by a HDR student in 2024 and Best PhD thesis (for conferrals in RQ4 2023 to RQ3 2024).
Please email nomination (200 words max) to Mike Piper.

New SBMS Publications

The node of Ranvier influences the in vivo axonal transport of mitochondria and signaling endosomes
Andrew P. Tosolini, Federico Abatecola, Samuele Negro, James N. Sleigh, Giampietro Schiavo
iScience https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.111158
Efficient long-range axonal transport is essential for maintaining neuronal function, and perturbations in this process underlie severe neurological diseases. Nodes of Ranvier (NoR) are short, specialized unmyelinated axonal domains with a unique molecular and structural composition. Currently, it remains unresolved how the distinct molecular structures of the NoR impact axonal transport dynamics. Using intravital time-lapse microscopy of sciatic nerves in live, anesthetized mice, we reveal (1) similar morphologies of the NoR in fast and slow motor axons, (2) signaling endosomes and mitochondria accumulate specifically at the distal node, and (3) unique axonal transport profiles of signaling endosomes and mitochondria transiting through the NoR. Collectively, these findings provide important insights into the fundamental physiology of peripheral nerve axons, motor neuron subtypes, and diverse organelle dynamics at the NoR. Furthermore, this work has relevance for several pathologies affecting peripheral nerves and the NoR.

If you are preparing a manuscript and you would like SBMS readership before submission, members of the Research Committee are willing and able to assist. Please contact the chair, Jana Vukovic.

If you have recently had a new publication accepted or published, please let us know.  

SBMS Awards Night 2024 – Raffle prize donations
The highly anticipated Awards Night Raffle is nothing without the kind support from our School community. Please drop any donations for the raffle prizes to the Head of School office at your convenience, ideally by 20th November. Thank you to those (4 people) who have already donated.

View archived announcements from SBMS

Head of School Update
Dear Colleagues

Welcome to Kate Morley, who joined us at the start of the month from King’s College, London and RAND in the UK. Kate was awarded her PhD from UQ and returns home to Brisbane to take up an Associate Professor appointment with us. Kate’s office is on Level 0 – please stop by and welcome her to the School.

Wonderful news to kick off this week: the 2024 Shanghai Global Rankings of Academic Subjects is out, and SPH is now 30^th in the world for Public Health, up from 39^th in 2023. This puts us up a spot for Australian Schools of Public Health – now 4^th, up from 5^th in 2023. Congratulations to everyone for work well done!

At the start of the month, we attended the Herston UQ Thanks You event, where it was wonderful to spend a few hours with colleagues from across the Herston campus and to thank everyone for their hard work in 2024. Our School’s end of year event will be held on Thursday 5 December – please remember to nominate your colleagues for work well done before Friday 22 November. Further details about the event can be found in the calendar invite or below.

More recently we’ve had two instances where conservative parties have been elected to significant governments: the Queensland State government and the more recent US election. Many of you may be feeling the same despondency at these outcomes and worry about the positive future for people and their health and wellbeing. Those who work closely with our Queensland government may be interested in knowing the new Director-General appoints and the LNP’s Plan for Queensland’s Future. Epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina’s article on the US situation provides guidance: how we navigate this new world will matter. We hope this article brings you some hope.

To finish on a high note, this week we celebrate the promotion of a number of our academic colleagues: Lisa McHugh (Level C), Katherine Cullerton, Megan Ferguson and Dung Phung (Level D), and Sheleigh Lawler and Susan Jordan (Level E). Congratulations to all of you for this acknowledgement of your achievements.

All the best 
Sheleigh & Sarah 
 
Sheleigh Lawler                                                                Sarah Piper 
Head of School                                                               SPH School Manager  

Dates for diaries
19 November - Slow deep stretch class - Mayne Level 3 boardroom (315), 1pm - 2pm
21 November - SPH End of Year School Retreat 2024, Day 1
22 November - SPH End of Year School Retreat 2024, Day 2

Days of Note
Tuesday 19 November - International Men’s Day - This day aims to raise awareness about health and social issues faced by men and boys around the world.  The theme for 2024 is “Positive Male Role Models”. On November 19, International Men's Day celebrates worldwide the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities. We highlight positive role models and raise awareness of men's well-being. https://internationalmensday.com/

Monday 25 November - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This day marks the launch of the UNiTE campaign (Nov 25-Dec 10) - an initiative of 16 days of activism concluding on the day that commemorates the International Human Rights Day (10 December). https://www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day
Did you know? More than five women or girls are killed every hour by someone in their own family. Almost one in three women have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their life. 86% of women and girls live in countries without legal protections against gender-based violence.

SPH End of Year Celebration
You should have all received the SPH End of Year Celebration Invitation via email recently. Please read the attached Word document carefully as there are links to follow, and information required.

Date: Thursday 5 December
Place: UQ Viewpoint, Building 33 at UQ St Lucia
Time: 12pm – 4pm

In The News
Thanks to Prof Simon Reid who answered the call in the recent expressions of interest and will now be Chair of Engagement Committee.

Dr Dung Phung, Dr Stacey Pizzino and 11 of our students headed to Hanoi over the weekend for an exciting two-week study tour with Hanoi Medical University. This experience will equip students with valuable insights into global health challenges and lessons learnt from developing-to-developing settings. Through field trips to healthcare facilities and communities, they will witness firsthand how Vietnam's healthcare system operates and the complex issues it faces, particularly in the context of climate change. Beyond academic pursuits, the tour promises a rich cultural experience with the students particularly excited for Dung’s gastronomical tour of Hanoi!

Andrew Smirnov and Laurelle Holland had an article recently published in Croakey Health Media - Where is your moral compass?

HDR Update
SPH HDR Subcommittee
The Subcommittee is responsible for coordinating the HDR experience and is comprised of and co-led by students and faculty members. For example, the team manages the annual HDR retreat/conference and social activities. The team is recruiting members to join the Subcommittee. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Frankie  or Germaine.

SPH Space working group
The SPH Space working group is actively looking for at least one HDR student to join the working group. This committee is responsible for evaluating and improving the physical layout of the Public Health building. This also includes activities related to the design and development of a student recreational space. Time commitments for this role are minimal with meetings typically occurring one hour every fortnight.

HDR Week Celebration Event
Join us on Wednesday 20 November, 12pm at the SPH BBQ Courtyard for a beach-themed party with food, games, music, and lots of fun to celebrate our HDR cohort. All students and staff are welcome.

HDR Wellbeing Chat
We are holding a HDR wellbeing chat, chaired by student HDR Subcommittee members and Megan, to hear about how UQ may be able to better support HDR students. The informal discussion will be on Tuesday 26 November from 10am to 11am, in the SPH building, room 113. Invites have been sent to SPH and Poche HDR students. We seek Advisors to encourage HDRs to join this discussion.

SPH Volleyball
We are recruiting participants for an SPH volleyball team. The next game will be on Saturday 14 December. No prior volleyball experience is required; everyone is welcome. If you are interested, please contact Frankie for more information.

Frankie Berardi (Co-Chair), Germaine Lai (Secretariat), Lisa McHugh (Deputy DHDR) and Megan Ferguson (DHDR & Co-Chair)

Upcoming Events
Faculty of Medicine Excellence Awards
Wednesday 11 December. Please click on the purple link to register your attendance by Thursday 5 December.

Health Translation Queensland – 5^th National HREC Conference
Dates: Wednesday 27 - Friday 29 November 
Format: Online (Zoom link will be provided prior to the Conference)
Cost: Free
Register your attendance. Visit the conference website for more information.

16^th World Congress on Endometriosis
Join us at the 16th World Congress on Endometriosis in Sydney, Australia from Wednesday 21-Saturday 24 May 2025.

SPH Space update
The masterplan for the Public Health building has now been costed by the quantity surveyor and the completed business case has been submitted to the Capital Management Group (CMG) for their November meeting. We hope to hear back later this year about whether the University will fund this project.

We also had a visit from UQ’s Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Flannery, on Monday last week. Sheleigh and Sarah, along with Zoe Cahill and Greg Hafner, gave him a tour of the building and showed him what the masterplan is hoping to achieve. He was very receptive and agreed that work was warranted. We now wait for the CMG to review our submission and to decide if the University will fund the project. Watch this space!

New School Org Unit Intranet (OUI)
Work has now finished on a draft map of the structure for the School’s new intranet site. The working group will now commence building the site and we’ll seek feedback from everyone before we move to go live, hopefully in late January. As always, if you’d like to be part of the project group to have input on the OUI, please let Sarah know.

SPH Review update
We continue to make progress on the School Review Recommendations with movement forward on school infrastructure, establishing the staff intranet site (details above) and importantly the staff retreat planned for this week to consolidate the work we have been doing this year on priority recommendations. Thank you to Susan and Andrew for their work in reviewing mentoring in the school, with a new plan to propose for 2025.

SPH LinkedIn Page
Continue to help build our SPH LinkedIn community by following and inviting others to follow our School of Public Health LinkedIn page. Please send Ailsa Bolton any content you would like uploaded to LinkedIn. She will need:

• An introductory paragraph to be posted that summarises the content
• Any link or document to go with the post
• Any person or organisation who needs to be tagged in the post (eg: coauthors, people in photos, partner organisations).

Alternatively, you can post on your own personal LinkedIn page and tag the School of Public Health by simply typing @UQ School of Public Health and clicking the SPH page that appears as a tag option. 

All the info  

• 2024 Academic Calendar - Academic Calendar
• 2025 Academic Calendar - Academic Calendar
• CAHP - CAHP Information & Services 
• Research News - UQ Research Main Page 
• Current Funding Opportunities - Current Funding Opportunities 
• MRFF 2024 Early to Mid-Career Researchers Initiative - MRFF 2024 Early to Mid-Career Researchers grant opportunity

SPH Research Dissemination Toolkit
Keen to disseminate your research publicly? The SPH Research Dissemination Toolkit can help you do this. 

View archived SPH announcements

From the Director’s desk
Congratulations to Professor Andreas Obermair on his election as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Andreas’ citation states “his research influenced and continues to influence clinical management of patients with cervical, endometrial, and vulvar cancer. He is a staunch consumer advocate, having founded the Cherish Women’s Cancer Foundation, a consumer not-for-profit organization, in 2012”. Recognition as a Fellow is richly deserved.

Congratulations on gaining personal promotion to Nadeeka Dissanayaka, Luis Furuya Kanamori, Patrick Harris, and Gareth Walker.

Please note the 5^th National HREC conference is online from 27-29 November. You can register for the conference at 5th National HREC Conference 2024 Tickets, Wed 27/11/2024 at 8:15 am | Eventbrite. 

I look forward to seeing as many people as possible at the UQCCR end of year event, including the Directors Awards, on Friday 22 November in the level 2 Auditorium. It has been an eventful year and it is great to have a chance to acknowledge the effort and dedication from so many people.

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Email your updates, event, awards to news@uqccr.uq.edu.au for inclusion.

Are you a wellbeing? Check out UQCCR’s Wellbeing committee Initiatives and other Centre news on the Staff hub.

Publication of the Month – September 2024

Harriet Lawford – ECR Category
Title: Anti-filarial antibodies are sensitive indicators of lymphatic filariasis transmission and enable identification of high-risk populations and hotspots
Journal: International Journal of Infectious Diseases

If you've recently published as a first or last author in a Q1 journal, don't miss the chance to submit your work for Publication of the Month. Apply now: https://uniofqueensland.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dbZJmOGJ85zgXsi

Applications close 7^th of each month.

Seminar Series – Wednesday 6th November, 12-1pm
Join us for two insightful presentations on the latest in biomarker and therapeutic research:

• Decentralized Liquid Biopsy Biomarker Profiling Technology Development via a Tailored Prostate Cancer Clinical Study by Dr. Kevin M. Koo

• Extracellular Vesicles: Dual Role as Diagnostic Biomarkers and Targeted Therapeutics by Nihar Godbole

This session will explore novel advancements in liquid biopsy technology and the promising applications of extracellular vesicles in diagnostics and therapeutics. Don’t miss it!

Genomics in human health: ECR / Student and Industry symposium– UQCCR Genomics Subcommittee
Join us for an exciting symposium bringing together early career researchers (ECRs) and students from across UQ working in health-related genomics. Element Bioscience will also be showcasing their innovative AVIT24 platform, feature advanced capabilities for both Next Generation Sequencing and Teton CytoProfiling for in situ multiomics. Don’t miss this opportunity to network with fellow researchers and explore the latest breakthroughs in genomic technology.
When: Wednesday 20th November, 11:00am –1:00pm
Where: UQCCR Ground Floor Auditorium and online (https://uqz.zoom.us/j/85978624849)

UQCCR updates continued
See standing items such as social club chocolates, after-hours building access and research support services on UQCCR's tab in the Staff Hub. 

Faculty’s Research and Statistical Support Services (RASSS)
Need help with study design, data analysis, manuscript, grant application or PhD supervision? To discuss bespoke statistical support at UQCCR, please complete a request form. See more information under the Research Support banner.

UQ clinical trials procedure
If you are establishing a clinical trial, please check the UQ Ethics page to ensure that you are familiar with UQ requirements, such as submitting additional notifications, obtaining any additional insurance for international sites, completing the UQ template Risk Assessment and Management Plan (RAMP) and ensuring your GCP training is current. Sabine is happy to assist with any enquires. Alternatively, please visit the Research Support team in Room 735 for any questions.
 
Budgets
Many research contracts submitted for signature are not using the UQ costing and pricing tool and do not factor in overheads or provide a relevant independent exemption reference, such as the funding body’s rules on their website. Failure to confirm these aspects early can mean delays in getting your contract signed or GRL issued. If you have any questions about the CPT or overheads, please contact Roheen.
 
COIs
FACs and research contracts require confirmation that your online COI disclosures, if applicable, have been approved by UQ, before a GRL can be issued or a research contract signed. Online approval happens via Workday in consultation with your line manager. As the COI process can take a few weeks, please ensure that you attend to your annual COI and updates, and factor in the timing required to avoid delays.
 
Research infrastructure
If there is a piece of equipment or infrastructure that may benefit several research groups within UQCCR please let us know by filling in this form ( UQCCR Equipment & Infrastructure Request Form March2024.docx) and submitting it to the CCR Facilities Desk (FacilitiesDesk@uqccr.uq.edu.au). Information provided will be discussed within the Infrastructure Committee and can be used for developing external grant and/or philanthropic opportunities, or be used for developing access through the Faculty capital replacement scheme or via access at alternative locations. Please also discuss any infrastructure/equipment issues with the Facilities Team.

Research funding support
Visit the Faculty website for current research funding opportunities. Please contact Roheen Gill well ahead of any deadline if you are planning to apply for upcoming opportunities and Sara Gollschewski to discuss strategic funding alignment. You can find a summary of funding support and assistance available to researchers for administration, reporting and closing out of existing funding in this document under 'Research Resources'.

View archived announcements from UQCCR

 View archived announcements from The Frazer Institute